Elihu Continues
I Am Frightened
1 I am frightened
and tremble all over,
2 when I hear the roaring voice
of God in the thunder,
3 and when I see his lightning
flash across the sky.
4 God's majestic voice
thunders his commands,
5 creating miracles too marvelous
for us to understand.
6 Snow and heavy rainstorms
7 make us stop and think
about God's power,
8 and they force animals
to seek shelter.
9 The windstorms of winter strike,
10 and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.
11 Rain clouds filled with lightning
appear at God's command,
12 traveling across the sky
13 to release their cargo—
sometimes as punishment for sin,
sometimes as kindness.
Consider Carefully
14 Job, consider carefully
the many wonders of God.
15 Can you explain why lightning
flashes at the orders
16 of God who knows all things?
Or how he hangs the clouds
in empty space?
17 You almost melt in the heat
of fierce desert winds
when the sky is like brass.
18 God can hammer out the clouds
in spite of the oppressive heat,
but can you?
19 Tell us what to say to God!
Our minds are in the dark,
and we don't know how
to argue our case.
20 Should I risk my life
by telling God
that I want to speak?
21 No one can stare at the sun
after a breeze has blown
the clouds from the sky.
22 Yet the glorious splendor
of God All-Powerful
is brighter by far.
23 God cannot be seen—
but his power is great,
and he is always fair.
24 And so we humans fear God,
because he shows no respect
for those who are proud
and think they know so much.
1 At this also mine heart is astonied, and is mooued out of his place. 2 Heare the sound of his voyce, and the noyse that goeth out of his mouth. 3 He directeth it vnder the whole heauen, and his light vnto the endes of the world. 4 After it a noyse soundeth: hee thundereth with the voyce of his maiestie, and hee will not stay them when his voyce is heard. 5 God thundereth marueilously with his voyce: he worketh great things, which we know not. 6 For he sayth to the snowe, Be thou vpon the earth: likewise to the small rayne and to the great rayne of his power. 7 With the force thereof he shutteth vp euery man, that all men may knowe his worke. 8 Then the beastes go into the denne, and remaine in their places. 9 The whirlewind commeth out of the South, and the colde from the North winde. 10 At the breath of God the frost is giuen, and the breadth of the waters is made narrowe. 11 He maketh also the cloudes to labour, to water the earth, and scattereth the cloude of his light. 12 And it is turned about by his gouernment, that they may doe whatsoeuer he commandeth them vpon the whole worlde: 13 Whether it be for punishment, or for his lande, or of mercie, he causeth it to come. 14 Hearken vnto this, O Iob: stand and consider the wonderous workes of God. 15 Diddest thou knowe when God disposed them? and caused the light of his cloud to shine? 16 Hast thou knowen the varietie of the cloude, and the wonderous workes of him, that is perfite in knowledge? 17 Or howe thy clothes are warme, when he maketh the earth quiet through the South winde? 18 Hast thou stretched out the heaues, which are strong, and as a molten glasse? 19 Tell vs what we shall say vnto him: for we can not dispose our matter because of darknes. 20 Shall it be told him when I speake? or shall man speake when he shalbe destroyed? 21 And nowe men see not the light, which shineth in the cloudes, but the winde passeth and clenseth them. 22 The brightnesse commeth out of the North: the praise thereof is to God, which is terrible. 23 It is the Almightie: we can not finde him out: he is excellent in power and iudgement, and aboundant in iustice: he afflicteth not. 24 Let men therefore feare him: for he will not regarde any that are wise in their owne conceit.